


Dancing with Fire

by Whokuu



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, F/M, Slow Burn, will add tags and characters as the story progresses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-04
Updated: 2019-12-01
Packaged: 2021-01-22 18:01:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21306239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whokuu/pseuds/Whokuu
Summary: ON HIATUS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICEGods and Goddesses once roamed the earth, having existed long before humanity. Since then, they've supposedly lost their physical forms, so what happens if you unknowingly come across one?
Relationships: Leonie Pinelli/Ignatz Victor
Comments: 4
Kudos: 11





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Ayy, it's been a while since I posted something new on Ao3 here //
> 
> This is for FE3H and Leonatz because there's like, nothing for this pairing in general which is _tragic_.  
So yeah this is a God/Goddess au set in the general time period that the game is set it, but with major differences that will be apparent early on.
> 
> Something to keep in mind heading in is that Ignatz is meant to be apathetic and aloof. Try and view a little of his behavior like he is during the timeskip in-game. This will not be a permanent way of characterizing him!
> 
> A big thank you to my friend [ Cym0rg](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cym0rg) for beta reading the first chapter!
> 
> Hope you guys like this, though! Comments and kudos fuel me. o/

Boring.   
  
Everything about what Ignatz was doing was boring. Watching humanity from his perch high above the clouds in the heavens, he idly touched the mirror that allowed him to see down to anywhere on the planet. The sun god had long since seen all that he could from the little beings, and a whole lot of repetitiveness from them as the centuries went by. Sure, his job was to help keep parts of the planet warm, but he had as of recent been quite unmotivated to do so. Just like the humans, much of what he did was repetitive and if he was being frank, _ tiring. _ His fellow deities would often criticize him whenever he got into these apathetic moods, reminding him that despite the mononity of what he did, was important to the earth. They all had roles to fill and Ignatz was no different. 

  
After all, Rhea, the goddess of creation, kept a close eye on all of the gods and goddesses below her. Without her, none of them would have come into existence, nor would the earth have flourished as it did without them. She was old as time itself, ensuring that all the deities respected, admired or even blindly followed her every order. Of course, not _every_ order or suggestion was always followed through, nor was Rhea unforgiving, but when it came to roles each god had, she allowed little to no wiggle room. Sometimes it annoyed Ignatz, but he smartly kept his thoughts to himself. He knew he would be in trouble if he didn’t start doing what he was supposed to soon, though. The areas of the earth he was supposed to be taking care of were in the grips of an intensely frigid winter that was going on for a rather suspiciously long period of time.   
  
Drawing his yellow feathery wings tighter to his back he rested his head on the mirror dejectedly. He had to get his act together before others started taking notice.  
  
“Hey Ignatz!” A booming voice came from behind, making him jump, followed by a hard slap on his back. He knew immediately who it was and turned around to face them.  
  
“Oh! Hi Raphael,” he coughed as the slap knocked the wind out of him. “What has you over here?” Raphael was the four-armed god of vegetation and harvest, meaning he spent much of his time blessing the farmlands on earth with bountiful yields. Though they were close friends, they often were busy with their own jobs and didn’t get to see each other as much as they did when they were kids.  
  
“You’re looking down, so I wanted to come and visit!” He said, smiling. “What’s bothering you today?”  
  
Ignatz hummed. “You already know the answer to that.”  
  
“I do?” Raphael raised a brow. “I’m not sure I follow.”   
  
Sighing, Ignatz shook his head. “Taking care of the earth. It’s dreadfully boring.”  
  
“What’s boring about taking care of the earth?” The larger god frowned. “The humans are always doing something new and fun! They’re all unique. Plus,” He tapped Ignatz’s mirror and it flipped to an image of humans placing things around a shrine. “They look to us to help them get through tough times. If we can make them happy, and they can make us happy, what else is there to want?”   
  
It was a simple outlook on it. Though while not wrong, Ignatz still didn’t feel the joy in it any longer. “I suppose so, but don’t you ever grow tired of how monotonous all of it is? Don’t you wish you could see or experience something new?”  
  
There was a moment of silence between the two before Raphael spoke again.  
  
“Ignatz, you can always go down and visit the humans! You’re always cooped up here and doing your work from here. It’s no wonder you’re bored!”  
  
“Wait, w-what?” Ignatz stuttered. “But they’re inferior and I would have to use glamour and--” He sees his friend frown with disapproval.   
  
“So what if you have to use glamour? You can easily hide your natural appearance and glow with no problem,” he says. “And besides, humans aren’t that much different from us, so stop thinking of them as inferior. I know your brother has nailed it into your head that they’re nothing but annoyances, but they’re not.”  
  
Ah yes, his brother. Azar. He wouldn’t like seeing him go down the earth much at all. Not that Ignatz ever really cared much these days about his opinion. He sighs. “Okay, well you do have a point about going down to earth. I guess that would be a new experience,” he admitted, squeaking in surprise when Raphael lifts him up.   
  
“Good! Now get yourself together and go down there!” Raphael says much louder than necessary and lifts Ignatz above his head.   
  
“Oh no, no _no_, Raphael, no!” Ignatz knows what he’s about to do and starts flapping his wings indignantly in attempts to stop the deity from what he set his mind to.   
  
He’s about to throw him out of his domain which meant he would be falling down to earth. Raphael doesn’t seem to listen as he lets out a shout and throws the god right out of the clouds.   
  
Ignatz doesn’t have a lot of time to react as he hurtles towards the earth’s surface. Spreading his wings would risk really damaging them, so he kept them pressed as tightly to himself as possible. He passes by all of the lower clouds, glowing a fiery red as he only picks up momentum the closer he gets. He knows he’s going to land hard, but also likely set things on fire around him. And sure enough, as he crashes through trees, snapping large thick branches off, he can feel the heat start to radiate off of them as he goes. He tries to slow his descent, but winds up slamming face first into the ground before he can, sending shockwaves of energy that blows down all the foliage around him as well as burning everything in his general vicinity to a crisp.   
  
He groaned, pulling himself up from the ground into a sitting position. Now completely covered in dirt and grime, he spits out far more dirt than he would _ever_ want to have in his mouth. Taking a look around, he’s able to see all the damage that he caused and clenches his fists. Why did Raphael have to do that?! He wasn’t ready!   
  
“‘Blend in, he said,’” Ignatz mumbles to himself. “How am I supposed to blend in when I’ve caused all of _this!” _He continues, standing up and brushing himself off. “All of the humans in this general area are going to know something happened!” He shakes his head and ruffles his hair. Now was not the time to lose his cool. Not while he was in human territory. First thing’s first: he had to use glamour to disguise himself to look human. Secondly, he had to clean himself up, though given that he landed in an area that he was supposed to be taking care of, everything was frozen and snowy. At least he would be able to do the first thing.  
  
Taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, Ignatz focused on altering his appearance with his powers. To shorten his ears, to hide his ever present glow, hide his wings, to look totally and convincingly human. All of these things had to be hidden to look human, but the acting part was something he’d have to deal with later. Feeling his glamour take full effect, he then had to deal with another non-human thing. His body temperature. Being a sun god meant that Ignatz had a lot of power over fire and heat related things tied to that. It also meant that he functioned at an inhumanly hot temperature that would immediately give him away. He could melt things and set them on fire by simply being in their presence if he wasn’t careful, so lowering it to what humans considered to be normal was his next task.  
  
All of it was annoying though. He wasn’t even half sure that he was going to take Raphael’s advice to begin with before he was thrown from his very domain. He didn’t have much choice now, though. He had to deal with what he had caused on earth.  
  
Which was when he heard a twig snap not too far from where he was. Quickly turning towards the noise, he was the silhouette of someone watching him. A _human. _Watching _him._ Unable to quell the bubbling rage any longer, Ignatz is on top of the human within seconds, he can tell they’re male and heavily inebriated by their glassy, unfocused eyes. He snatched the man’s arm up and his eyes glow eerily in the dark. “Leave my sight,” he growls, hand heating up and burning the male’s arm. He pays no attention to their pained scream as he lets go and watches them recoil, stumbling backwards before turning tail in the opposite direction.   
  
Satisfied that the human was now out of his sight, Ignatz had to focus on finding a place to stay out of sight for the time being. Unfortunately, there was nothing but snowy hills and barren trees as far as he could see. Groaning, he shook his head.   
  
It was going to be a long night.  
  
\---  
It was another bitterly cold night in Leonie’s village. Everyone struggling to keep their homes warm and free of any drafts. They had fallen into somewhat hard times with hunting as most animals were more concerned about staying hidden away from the cold, making it difficult to hunt. The entire village and surrounding area was blanketed in heavy snow and there were very few days when the sky was clear and free of snowfall. They were all still in good spirits, though. They had always been tight knit and made sure that everyone was fed and clothed despite everything.   
  
It had been quiet up until an hour prior when people saw a bright red star fall from the sky. Leonie figured it was a shooting star or a meteor and had to admit, it was quite pretty. She wasn’t as devout to the gods and goddesses as others were, but she made a silent wish nonetheless.   
  
_Please bring us warmer weather._  
  
It had been a few hours since then, and everything has returned to normal.  
  
Sighing, she plopped on her bed and looked out her window. It was one of the very few clear nights that they had in the past few weeks, so it was nice to be able to see all of the stars and quarter moon out. It illuminated much of the village, rays of light from the moon bouncing off of the pristine snow. Winter was also particularly difficult for Leonie personally as her father would drink even _more _than he would during any part of the year. ‘It helps warm me up,’ he would tell her to which she would scoff. He’d always been like that ever since she was a child, so she never believed any of his excuses or attempts at being honest with her.   
  
Speaking of her father though, he hadn’t returned home from his nightly drinking spree, and she grumbled at the thought. He likely was too drunk to stumble his way back home, meaning she would have to go to the tavern herself to get him home. Standing back up from her bed, she grabbed her coat hanging on the chair at her small desk before making her way to the front door where her boots were. Stepping into them, she made her way outside and shut the door quickly behind her to avoid letting the cold in. Most folks had already headed in for the night, preferring to save their energy to stay warm at home, though there were still a few people out and about. Most of them hauling supplies they had gotten from a neighboring town. Travelling this time of the year was tough no matter how thickly you dressed, but it order to make it by, travelling was a must. You couldn’t be picky about the travel time if you wanted to ensure a week’s worth of food.   
  
Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Leonie looked towards the tavern down the street. It was always open until late, so she could see the light from the fire and lanterns filtering through the windows. Heading down towards it, she heard a scream. Twisting her head towards the noise, she could make out someone running at full tilt into the village before stumbling and falling down. Alarmed by this, Leonie and the few others who were out ran over to the individual.   
  
It was Leonie’s father. He was clutching his arm while muttering incomprehensibly.   
  
“Dad!” Leonie gasped, kneeling down to pull him up. “What happened to you?!” She asked when she saw the burn on his right arm. “This has to be at least second degree!”  
  
“A-a _God!_” He shouted. “I saw a god!” That was all he would say before he devolved back into his relentless muttering once again.  
  
Some of the villagers immediately took towards bringing him to the small healers cabin, leaving Leonie alone outside. What was her father going on about? A God? Gods and Goddesses didn’t exist… right? He must have seen something that spooked him and in his drunken state, mistook it for something else. Though it didn’t account for his burn, so what could have caused that? It didn’t seem self-inflicted…   
  
Looking up towards the sky for the last time, Leonie frowned.   
  
She hoped that this wasn’t a sign of bad things to come for her small village.   


It was the very last thing they needed right now.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "It’s often been said that “seeing is believing”, but in many cases, the reverse is also true. Believing results in seeing."- Donald L. Hicks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It occurred to me that I haven't given much context as to why I started this au so
> 
> I thought of Ignatz's name, and how it's derivative of the name Ignatius. It means "fire-bearer" or "fiery one," so I was thinking of how he could have abilities relating to fire. It eventually came together as him being a sun god being bored with doing what he's done for so long.  
Just like Raphael and Ignatz, you will be meeting more gods and perhaps something else down the line.

The following morning, Leonie went to the healers cabin to check on her father. She’s met by one of the main healers at the front door, denying access in, much to her dismay.  
  
“He’s resting right now,” she said, casting a sideways glance inside when someone had called. “When he’s in a better state of mind, we will let you know.”   
  
“Better state of mind?” Leonie repeated. “Is he still concerned about what he saw or didn’t see last night?”   
  
“Unfortunately, yes,” The healer shook her head. “Based on what we were told last night, we had thought he would reconsider what he might have seen this morning but,” She frowned. “He hasn’t budged on his claim. We sent some scouts out to survey the area, but all they found was a crater in the ground and the surrounding area in ruins. There was nothing in it.”   
  
“Do you think whatever landed is what attacked my father?” Leonie inquired, raising a brow.   
  
“There’s no proof that what your father said is truly what happened, and given that he was drunk at the time gives us more reason to doubt.” The healer knit her brows. “Though the fact that there’s nothing in the hole suggests that at least _ something _ landed there, but we don’t know what. The scouts have no leads, so we can’t do much about it in current time.”   
  
“I see,” Leonie murmured. “Well, I’ll be back later and hope my father is in better shape when I do.”   
  
The healer nodded before stepping back inside and shutting the door.   
  
While walking towards the inn, she heard most of the villagers out talking about the incident. It wasn’t surprising to her that it was all the talk, and she stopped when she spotted a crowd surrounding presumably the scouts. Taking a moment to listen, she caught them describing the scene. They said it looked like nothing they had ever seen before. Everything in the area was blown down and things had caught fire in some unexplainable way. All that remained was ashes and a large hole in the ground that held nothing inside it.   
  
“Something that landed and then disappeared, huh,” Leonie thought aloud. If things were as bad as the head healer had described, then she needed to go there to see it first-hand. Preferring to not head out alone in the cold weather, she knew just the person to ask to accompany her: Claude. Moving on from the crowd, she made her way to the inn’s doors and pushed them open.   
  
“If it isn’t the one and only Leonie,” the receptionist said, leaning against the wooden counter. “What brings you here today?”   
  
“You know why,” Leonie said wryly. “I’m certain you’ve heard about what happened last night, Claude.”

  
“Ah, I think I did,” Claude winked. “It does seem rather troubling, doesn’t it? Hopefully it’s nothing too serious. Ah,” he stopped mid sentence as Leonie slapped her hands down on the counter.   
  
“Will you go with me to investigate it? I need to see this area for myself.”   
  
Raising a brow, Claude turned towards the room behind the counter. “Hey Hilda, can you come here for a minute?”   
  
They both heard a squawk from the back room. “You better not be leaving me alone to run this Inn, Claude, or so help me!” Hilda said while walking over beside Claude.   
  
“You already know why I called you out, perfect,” Claude grinned. “Leonie wants me to tag along to investigate the area of the incident last night. I trust you can watch over the inn while I’m away?”   
  
“Claude,” Hilda whined. “Can’t Leonie just go on her own?” She looked to Leonie who frowned.   
  
“Afraid not,” Claude shrugged. “And if I’m being honest, I want to go out there myself today anyway, so it works out.”   
  
“Ugh, fine. Just don’t be forever, okay?” She grumbled. “People are a bit on edge these days with the cold weather and dwindling food supplies.”   
  
“We won’t be too long, I promise,” Claude said, stepping out from behind the counter. “I’ll even pay you double for this.” He said, watching Hilda’s eyes light up. Grabbing his coat from a hook near the door, Claude put it on and stepped into his snow boots. Looking to Leonie who was already heading out the door, Claude grinned. “Let’s get going.”   
  
The trek to the site was quiet and uneventful, but Leonie filled Claude in on the events from the night in full as they went.   
  
“So your father got drunk last night and was outside of the village?” Claude said as they walked.   
  
“Yeah, which was stupid for him to do,” Leonie grumbled. “It’s far too cold to be pulling stunts like that, he makes me worry. Which was only made worse by him claiming it was a god that hurt him.” She shoved her hands in her pockets. “The Gods and Goddesses don’t have physical forms now, right?”   
  
“That’s a controversial statement if I haven’t heard one,” Claude chuckled. “I hope you don’t go around saying that in the village, you might have a lot of angry people on your tail. Regardless of that though, you’re right in saying that the Gods and Goddesses are believed to no longer have physical forms, though.” He shrugs. “But people have claimed to have seen them even in present time, so who’s to say that there aren’t some among us?”   
  
“I… guess so, but I’d have to see it with my own eyes to really believe that,” Leonie shook her head.   
  
As they continued forward, the closer they got to the site, the warmer it grew, creating a stark contrast to the otherwise cold weather around them. Climbing atop one of the many hills they had gone over, Leonie gasped looking down below. “Claude... look,” She pointed as he had caught up to her and she saw him frown.   
  
All of the trees were knocked down and uprooted, all of the snow had melted, revealing the sooty black ground below. Right near the middle of it was a large hole where whatever it was had landed. Quickly running down the hill to get closer, Leonie could feel the temperature in the air rise dramatically, prompting her to take her coat off and tie it around her waist. “Yeesh, it’s ridiculously hot!” She heard Claude make a noise of agreement as he walked past her and stopped near the center of the wreck. “Hey, don’t leave me behind!” She complained, catching up.   
  
“You were ahead of me up until now, so it’s only fair that I got ahead of you for once,” he remarked, kneeling down to look at the hole closer. “What could cause such a scene like this,” he wondered aloud, brow furrowed. “The strange change in temperature, all of the nature around it in ruins and all of the snow melted...”   
  
“I don’t know, but even now the ground is still hot to the touch,” Leonie placed her hand down to the soil, quickly pulling back when she realized just how hot it really was. “It couldn’t be a demonic beast since this is the only area with such damage so,” she frowned. “What could it be?”   
  
“I’m not sure, but it obviously was powerful, so we should be careful.” Claude stood up, brushing his pants off. “It would be one thing if it were only a shooting star, or a meteor, but whatever that landed is _ alive _ and could possibly still be around. We shouldn’t stay for too much longer,” He said seriously, taking a quick look around to make sure they weren’t being watched and saw Leonie nod in agreement.   
  
“Agreed, what everyone said was true and honestly? It doesn’t make me feel any better about it. In fact, it makes me feel _ worse, _ ” Leonie admitted, feeling the lance strapped to her back. What if it headed towards her village? Would it be a threat? Would it wreak havoc? All of the possibilities only fueled her worry and anxiety. She needed to--   
  
She felt Claude touch her shoulder.   
  
“Leonie.”   
  
“Ah,” Leonie snapped out of her thoughts. “Sorry.”   
  
“Don’t worry about it,” he said smoothly. “How about we meet back at the Inn? I want to do a sweep around the area before I head back, so you can go ahead of me.”   
  
“Wait, are you absolutely sure you want me to, Claude? What if it’s still around?” Leonie rattled off, worry clear in her tone.   
  
“No worries,” Claude said, tapping his forehead. “I am a master tactician, after all. I won’t do anything too reckless if it came to it.”   
  
It was true, Claude had always been smart about all of his decisions, even when caught in unexpected situations. He travelled between the inn in her village to other ones in larger towns, so he had experienced a lot throughout the years. Reminding herself of that, Leonie took a deep breath and exhaled. “Alright, I’ll head back. Just,” Leonie said, putting her coat back on and turning to head back. “Be careful, alright?”   
  
“Noted,” Claude tapped the bow and arrows strapped to his back. “I’m not unarmed, so I’ll be good even if something tried to jump me. Now, get going, you’re just stalling now,” he teased, chuckling when he saw Leonie freeze at being caught.   
  
“Alright, alright, I’ll go,” Leonie raised her hands into faux outrage. “Just don’t come running to me if you hurt yourself,” She continued, walking away. “I’ll see you back at the inn soon, okay?”   
  
“Yup.”   
  
Claude watched as Leonie slowly fades from his sight across the hills and sighed heavily.   
  
He knew _ exactly _ what had landed there: A God. He could feel the residual energy from them landing and in the surrounding area. Normally they weren’t as… flashy about their arrival on earth, which made him purse his lips. Did they mean to land like this and in this specific area, or was it by chance? Who were they, and why were they so close to human-occupied areas? All of it bothered Claude to no end, and now that he knew God was in the general area, he was going to have to be extra careful.   
  
After all, they could very well blow his cover.   
  
He felt a twinge of guilt for having to lie to Leonie like he did, but he couldn’t tell her what had really landed there. He didn’t see any good coming of telling her right now. There was far too much he didn’t know about the situation and that was more than enough to set him on edge.   
  
Sighing once more, and taking one last look at the site, Claude headed back towards the village.   
  
\---   
Leonie wasn’t very far from the village when she saw a group of thugs around her village’s shrine of Ignatius, god of the sun. It was clear to her that they were given that they were rummaging through offerings left there. With supplies being tight as they were in her village, leaving offerings could be difficult, so to see some thieves stealing from the shrine made her blood boil.   
  
“Hey!” She shouted, running towards the thieves and pulling out her lance. “Get away from there!” There were three thieves. Two were wearing ratty clothes while the third one was notably better-dressed, though dirty. They were knelt down at the shrine in complete disinterest while the other two turned to her in surprise. The largest of them seems to direct the other, suggesting that they were the leader. The thought process clashed with how the third was clearly better off, but she didn’t want to spend too much time thinking about it. Instead, she focused on the fact that it was three against one, putting her at quite a disadvantage, but she wasn’t about to let them go. Rather troubled by the third’s behavior, she decided to focus on the other two who were now pulling out their swords, preparing to take her on.   
  
“What’s it ya, hero-wannabe?” The leader said, their gaze flicking from Leonie to the shrine. “It’s not as if those offering ‘ave done any good for anyone. An’ we’re starving here!”   
  
“You can’t just take from sacred shrines! I won’t let you!” Leonie says, as she clashes with them. She can see the other coming for her from behind and shoves the thief in front of her as hard as she can before ducking, narrowly missing getting struck by the others sword. Cursing as she tries to create some distance between her and the two, she can see the third that’s still at the shrine now watching her. _ What is with that one? _ She thinks to herself before she snaps back into reality and barely missing the leader’s sword but gets struck down by the other; the sword slicing across her shoulders. She’s barely given any time to turn before she’s kicked to the ground and is held down.   
  
“Look, we’re not her ta kill anyone, we jus’ need to eat. So leave us be, lassie,” the first one says before kicking Leonie’s lance out of her reach. “Besides--”   
  
An arrow flies past their head, narrowly missing them before landing the ground nearby.   
  
“What the hell?!” They turned to see where the arrow came from.   
  
Leonie turned her head and saw the last thief was now standing, bow and arrow in hand. They appeared to be completely focused on the assailants rather than Leonie herself.   
  
“You were armed all this time, you rat?!” The leader spat, before heading straight for them.   
  
Leonie couldn’t help but smile when she saw the stranger shoot the thief square in the shoulder with an arrow. With the leader now howling in pain, Leonie took advantage of the second one being distracted and pushed herself up and kicked them in the stomach, making them let go. Squirming out from their now loosened grip, she rolled before managing to get herself up and grab her lance from the ground.   
  
Hastily swinging it, Leonie smacks the sword out of the thieves hand and it’s sent flying through the air and lands some distance away. Clearly not liking the idea of getting cut down by her very sharp lance, the thief backs off.   
  
“Get yourself and your buddy out of here before I kill you,” she growled, pointing her weapon at them threateningly. She’s momentarily puzzled when she sees the thief turn and run towards the shrine until she looks over herself.   
  
The cloaked one now was on top of the thief leader and had their sword against their throat.   
  
Oh.   
  
They were stronger than the looked, apparently.   
  
“Hey, hey, hey!” The second thief cried, waving their hands at the cloaked stranger. “You don’ need to kill him! We’ll leave!” They wince when the stranger looks up.   
  
Leonie swears she can see a faint glow emanating from their eyes, but when she blinks, it’s gone.   
  
It seems to do the trick though, as they get off of the leader and drop the sword and it lands harmlessly to the ground.   
  
“You’re absolutely crazy!” The leader coughed before scrambling to their feet. They try to pull out the arrow out of their shoulder to no avail. “Who even _ carries _ barbed arrows these days?!”   
  
“Let’s get outta here, boss!” The second said, making a beeline for the forest in the distance.   
  
“Don’ leave me behind, you idiot!” The leader grumbled before following suit.   
  
Once they’re out of sight, it’s only then that Leonie feels the searing pain in her back. “Dammit,” she cursed as she noticed the snow around her spotted a dull red. “They got me good.” She looked towards the shrine and found that now the cloaked stranger was now putting all the offerings back into place as they originally were. Their behavior was baffling to Leonie, but the fact that they helped fend off the thieves outweighed that for the moment.   
  
Heading towards them, she paused when they stood up. They pulled down their hood, revealing a shock of short, green hair, and they turned so she could see they had chestnut brown eyes. It was a guy, which she supposed she should have guessed given his stature.   
  
“Ah, um…” Leonie started before she heard a familiar voice ring out.   
  
“Leonie! I can’t leave you alone for two minutes, huh?” Claude runs up next to her and is bent over to catch his breath. “I saw two shaken up shady guys run past me, so I figured you might have had something to do with that,” He teases before he frowns when he sees blood dripping from her back. Shuffling behind her, he gingerly puts his hand on her right shoulder. “They caught you from behind,” He says, gaze flickering from hers to the stranger not far in front of them. “Did this guy help you?”   
  
Wincing at even the slightest touch from Claude, it takes Leonie a moment to respond. “Yeah, though he hasn’t said anything the whole time… It’s a little unnerving, to be honest.”   
  
Claude steps out from behind Leonie and looks to the stranger. “Their attire doesn’t appear to be from anywhere around the village, so maybe they’re from somewhere else?”   
  
“I suppose so…” Leonie raised a brow, noticing that the green-haired stranger was now watching Claude closely. “Do you know him, Claude? He seems really interested in you now.”   
  
“I don’t,” he shrugs. “But we need to get you back to the village to tend to that wound. Perhaps we should bring this guy along?” He motions to the outsider. “Perhaps he could tell us what’s got him around this area.”   
  
“You mean you want to set him up at the Inn?” Leonie asked incredulously. “We know nothing about him _ and _ he still could be dangerous!”   
  
“Perhaps,” Claude said, looking them up one more time. “But I have a feeling that if they were going to do anything to us, they would have already tried by now.”   
  
“I… Guess so.” Leonie drawled out before shaking her head. “I’m going to keep my lance out as we head back, then. Just in case.”   
  
Claude claps his hands. “Do you mind coming to the Inn with us?” He asked the stranger. “It’s warmer in there.” He smiles when he gets a small nod.   
  
“Then it’s settled!” He declares. “Let’s go back to the Inn. Leonie, you should lead, you need to get into the village quicker than me or this other guy do.”   
  
“Fine,” Leonie sighs. “Just keep an eye on him.”   
  
“Sure can do.”   
  
With that, all three of them headed towards the village as the sun began to set. 


	3. Chapter 3

Ignatz wasn’t really sure how he managed to get himself into this situation. All he was trying to do was look at offering left at one of the shrines made after him and wound up getting caught up in two petty thieves trying to pilfer from it. He kept to himself and acted as if he were only looking for food like they were. They had left him alone and he did so in return.   
  
Of course that wasn’t going to last forever and he was just getting ready to strike them both down when he heard a woman’s voice somewhere from behind him.   
  
She put a monkey wrench in things, but he was willing to adjust.   
  
Well, it was more like he was curious as to what she was capable of, so he wanted to watch her in action. But now?   
  
He regretted it.   
  
He was ushered into the tiny village, completely blanketed in snow by her _ and _ some sort of deity like him. He could sense his energy from the other and it most certainly wasn’t that of a mortal. He knew that the other could sense his own energy, too, leaving both of them tense. The girl, to her credit, had picked up on the shift in mood and simply kept quiet. Though he didn’t miss how closely she was eyeing him. He knew she was silently sizing him up which was interesting considering she was a mere mortal. One _ wounded _ mortal at that.   
  
Nevertheless, he was brought into the aforementioned Inn and the warmth inside it was welcomed. Having lowered his body temperature to that of humans, he was now experiencing cold like they would. It was… a curious feeling. He was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard someone squeak.   
  
“Leonie, what happened?!” Hilda came out from behind the counter and was quick to get Leonie to sit in a chair nearby. “Claude!” She looked accusedly at him. “You told me that you were going to investigate, not get into trouble! And,” She pointed to Ignatz. “Who is he??”   
  
“Woah, woah, woah, slow down, Hilda.” Claude raised his hands in defense. “Leonie ran into some thieves on the way back and this guy helped her fend them off. Just…” He frowned. “She got hurt in the process. I got there after it happened. As for this guy?” His gaze settled on Ignatz for a moment. “I haven’t the faintest clue, but we—”   
  
“—You mean _ you _ brought him here,” Leonie corrected, hissing when Hilda helped her get out of her coat, revealing her white blouse now stained red from her blood.   
  
Hilda clicked her tongue before shaking her head. “Why don’t you be helpful and get the first aid basket, _ Claude, _ ” she said before looking to Ignatz. “And you, make yourself useful and grab one of the towels from that shelf,” she pointed across the room to it.   
  
Ignatz wasn’t pleased with being ordered around as he was, but one look from this Hilda girl was more than enough for him to obey. He was vaguely aware of how fragile humans were, so he knew that taking care of wounds quickly would help prevent infection. Grabbing one of the dark colored towels and coming back, he was met with Hilda helping Leonie take off her shirt as gently as possible, leaving her only in her bra. Averting his gaze, he handed Hilda the towel. “Here.” He took a step back and focused on the ground.   
  
“Oh no you don’t,” Hilda snapped. “Being polite isn’t going to get you anywhere. _ You’re _ going to help me.” She grabbed his wrist and pulled him closer. “You’re going to put pressure on her wound while I go fill a basin full of water.” She thrusts the towel back into Ignatz’s hands. “I shouldn’t have to tell you this, but _ be gentle. _ ” She glared. “Half of the reason Leonie is in this shape is because of you and Claude. So you’re going to own up to it.” Before Ignatz could respond, Hilda had already left the room to do as she said she was going to.   
  
It left the two of them alone. Which was… awkward.   
  
Ignatz did as he was told, though. Shaking out the towel to open it up, he hesitated to touch Leonie at all.   
  
“I’m not made of _ glass,” _ She said sardonically. “Just get on with it.”   
  
“...Right.” Ignatz said, before pressing the towel gingerly against the wound, paying close attention to only applying pressure where necessary. Having never really experienced touching a human, Ignatz was taken by surprise by just how similar they felt to Gods and Goddesses like himself. He saw her wince once or twice when he adjusted his grip, but acted as if he didn’t see it.   
  
“Who are you anyway?” Leonie said, wanting to break the awkward silence between them.   
  
“I’m—” He was interrupted by Claude come back and setting the basket down next to Ignatz and Leonie’s feet.   
  
“Yeesh, Hilda is really mad this time,” Claude picked through the basket and looks to Leonie sympathetically. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there to help so this could have been avoided.”   
  
“It’s alright, Claude.” Leonie sighed. “I’m just glad I stopped them from taking from the shrine. We’ve had such a harsh winter and hope that if Ignatius is up there, that he’ll bring warmer weather soon.”   
  
“Agreed,” Claude pulled out the gauze and started rolling out some of it on the counter. “Sometimes I wonder if the gods are testing us.”   
  
“Oh hush now,” Hilda chided gently as she hefted the water basin in and set it down next to Ignatz’s feet. “Green boy, you can stop for now.”   
  
Ignatz simply nodded before carefully pulling the towel away from Leonie’s back, inwardly cringing when it stuck slightly due to her blood congealing. The bleeding had largely stopped, leaving dried blood around the wound. It wasn’t a superficial wound by any means, but not a wound that Hilda and Claude seemed especially concerned about.   
  
Wringing out the cloth Hilda started to tenderly dab the wound and the area around it to clean it. “Seriously, you need to be more careful, Leonie. You shouldn’t try and take on multiple thieves alone.”   
  


“I know, I know, I was cocky,” Leonie replied, twitching a little under Hilda’s care. “This is nothing I can’t bounce back from.”  
  
“That’s not the point but,” Hilda’s gaze slid to Ignatz. “It reminds me about you. What’s your name?”   
  
“I’m wondering that too,” Leonie nodded. “You’ve barely spoken since we got here, I’m curious.”   
  
Ignatz saw Claude’s eyes land on him once again and he frowned. He was _ not _ about to get intimidated by another god over something as trivial as his own name. “I’m…” He hesitated, fiddling with the bloodied towel. “My name’s Ignatz.”   
  
Leonie perked up. “Oh? So you were named after Ignatius, the sun god? That’s pretty cool!”   
  
“Good to know your name now, Ignatz,” Claude said, cutting the gauze after settling on a reasonable length. Rolling it up, he handed it to Hilda. “I think this will cover the whole wound with a bit of wiggle room if needed.”   
  
“Good,” Hilda said, putting the washcloth back into the basin. “Leonie, I’ll bring you to the back room so we can get you situated. No boys allowed,” She smirked.   
  
“Yeah, thanks.” Leonie stood up and followed Hilda to the back room, leaving Claude and Ignatz alone in the entryway.   
  
“So, what brings you to this area anyway?” Claude sat down on the bench across from the counter, idly swinging his legs. “You can put that towel down on the counter, by the way.”   
  
“Ah, yes.” Ignatz set it down, being mindful not to put the bloodied part directly on the counter. “I was nearby the village while travelling and met you guys by chance,” He lied, turning to face Claude and leaned against the counter. “I wasn’t expecting to run ino thieves, though. Seems rather bold to desecrate a shrine, don’t you think?”   
  
“Perhaps,” Claude shrugged. “Not everyone believes in the gods and goddesses, nor do all that do, blindly follow the teachings of them either. However,” He narrowed his eyes, his gaze piercing Ignatz. “I hope you’re not here to cause trouble, because it’s the _ last _ thing this little village needs right now.”   
  
“Are you afraid?” Ignatz raised a brow. “Do you dislike the unknown?”   
  
Claude hummed. “You’re a bit arrogant, huh? Suppose I shouldn’t expect any less from a God who made an entrance like _ that _ . Also, burning human who happened to be nearby?” He sucks his teeth. “Not the brightest idea in the world.”   
  
“That—” Ignatz pinched the bridge of his nose. “Listen, I don’t even _ want _ to be here.”   
  
“Oh, is that so?” Claude smiled. “Then what’s keeping you here?   
  
“I—”   
  
“Do you have something to prove?”   
  
Ignatz shot him a glare, eyes gleaming a bright orange before quickly fading.   
  
Claude laughed, shaking his head. “So you _ do, _ how interesting. Well, regardless of that, you’re welcome to stay here for the time being— save that you behave. Also,” He gestured to Ignatz in general. “You might want to keep a tight hold on your glamour there, you don’t want to slip up, now do you, _ Ignatius? _ ”   
  
“I’ll _ behave,” _ Ignatz all but ground out.   
  
“Good,” Claude stood up. “I think we’ll get along just fine then. I think you’ll find the folks around here to be quite amicable. Who knows, maybe you’ll gain the trust of the people around here if you treat them like equals.”   
  
“We’ll see about that.”   
  
It wasn’t long after that, that the girls came back, Leonie now sporting a plain loose shirt. Ignatz saw how Hilda looked at both him and Claude and rose a brow. “What’s with you two?”   
  
“Whatever do you mean, Hilda?” Claude looked to her with a lopsided grin. “We just got to know each other a little. Isn’t that right, Ignatz?”   
  
Ignatz met Claude’s gaze for a moment before crossing his arms. “Yeah, we did. I’m going to stay here.” He saw Hilda and Claude exchange a glance that he couldn’t quite decipher before he heard Leonie speak up.   
  
“Thank you guys for helping me,” she shuffled her feet. “It means a lot to me.”   
  
“That’s what friends are for!” Claude walked over to her before shooting a final glance at Ignatz. “How’s your father doing, by the way? You didn’t mention how he was doing when we were out earlier.”   
  
“The healers said that he wouldn’t budge on his claim, despite sobering up.” She shook her head. “Obviously he couldn’t have hurt himself like that out there on his own, but I can’t believe what he said to be true.”   
  
“Aren’t there stories about Gods and Goddesses coming down to punish mortals, though?” Hilda asked, idly twirling her hair and sitting down behind the counter.   
  
“I… guess so, yeah,” Leonie shrugged. “But all the stories include us doing something really terrible like destroying villages, ruining large amounts of crops and destroying shrines. Not just walking out in the open, drunk. That seems hardly a reason to do that.”   
  
“Dwelling on it won’t do much good right now though,” Claude said, frowning at Leonie. “You haven’t been sleeping much recently, either. Are you…?”   
  
“The nightmares? Yep, they’re flaring up again,” Leonie grimaced. “They feel so real. It’s hard to get back to sleep when I have them. But this isn’t about me,” she shook her head. “I’m going to go check on my dad again--”   
  
“No, you’re not!” Hilda stood up indignantly. “We _ just _ got you cleaned up and covered. You’re not setting a single _ foot _ out of this Inn until we can assure your wounds have stopped bleeding completely. Besides, it’s getting late and they likely won’t let you in because of that.”   
  
“I have to agree with Hilda here, Leonie,” Claude said. “You’re best staying here for the night. It’s better than going home and fretting over your dad all night, right?”   
  
“I suppose so,” Leonie said eventually.   
  
“Good. So now we should get Ignatz settled into a room,” Hilda’s gaze slides over to him, and saw him jump at the mention of his name. “Lost in thought?”   
  
“A little bit,” he admitted.   
  
\---   
  
Setting a wool blanket down on the bed, Claude felt Ignatz’s gaze on him as he quietly waited for him to finish. “Have something to say over there?”   
  
“Why are you doing all of this?”   
  
“What do you mean?” Claude turned to face him. “Can’t have you staying out in the cold, can I?”   
  
Ignatz sighed. “That’s not it, and I know you know that. You know very well that the cold weather doesn’t bother me, yet you brought me here. You could have ousted me, yet you didn’t. Why’s that?”   
  
“You’re way out of your comfort zone,” Claude said simply. “You haven’t the slightest clue as how to interact with mortals outside of coming across as completely arrogant and foreign. That sort of behavior will get you into all sorts of trouble. Not to mention,” he tapped Ignatz’s shoulder before picking a pale feather off of it. “You don’t have the greatest control over your glamour right now, either.”   
  
Ignatz’s eyes widened at seeing the feather in Claude’s hands for a moment. “That— that wasn’t on purpose—” he stuttered.   
  
“Obviously,” Claude clicked his tongue. “Which is all the more reason to keep you here for the time being. You don’t want to experience how mortals react to seeing deities first hand.”   
  
“Have you—” Ignatz started before Claude stepped back and put the feather in his pocket.   
  
“—You should get some rest. I need to go make sure Leonie isn’t trying to push herself,” he chuckled. “She’s known to.” He opened the door to the room before looking back. “Have a good night now,” he said before shutting the door.   
  
Ignatz sat on the bed and rubbed his temples. “Great. I have a _ babysitter. _ ” As loathe as he was to admit it though, Claude was right about his glamour. He could feel it flickering and fading, and it would be just enough to garner attention to the public. He needed to focus better and figure out what to do next. He was here now, and he wasn’t going to leave until he had a better understanding of mortals. He knew it was about his pride and so when Raphael had criticized him, it hit a little harder than expected.   
  
The two he had met weren’t so bad at least. Hilda seemed like she cared a whole lot for Claude and Leonie. Though he couldn’t shake the feeling that she was also watching him with equal intensity as the other, but he couldn’t place why. Leonie on the other hand was… headstrong, that much was obvious. She appeared very well guarded and a no-nonsense sort of person. He would have to be careful on what he said around her if she grew curious about his personal life.   
  
Not that he anticipated that happening, anyway. He wasn’t going to stay on earth forever. He couldn’t _ completely _ abandon his duties despite it being tempting. He didn’t care for mortals, but he knew if they died because of his negligence, he would be reprimanded. He shuddered at the thought.   
  
Rhea would personally see him punished for that.   
  
Shrugging off his cape and grumbling at the filthy state it was in, he decided he would get to cleaning it and the rest of his clothes in the morning. For now, he would rest and deal with whatever may come tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a shorter chapter for this week. I've been in a weird spot for a bit so it took me longer to finish this than I anticipated.
> 
> Hope you all like it!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life in Leonie's village is pleasant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is set in the past, when Leonie is nine years old, so keep that in mind coming into this chapter!

The village was a lot of fun, Leonie thought as she ran around playing with the other children her age. Things were always peaceful, especially during the summer as it was. The adults were often out foraging and coming back with deer and other game that everyone enjoyed. She and the others were watched over by the elders and they would always smile and laugh when Leonie and others rough and tumbled, getting dirty as they’d roll around on the ground. They were all told that it built character, and that one day, they would start to learn how to hunt and support the village, just like the other adults did.  
  
Of course, they were all curious about hunting and what was involved in the process, but they were often shooed away. ‘Not yet,’ they’d say, though it only proved to frustrate a few of them, making them all that more curious and willing to disobey the rules.  
  
One being to not touch any of the weapons the adults used. Sure, they could watch them sharpen them and do general maintenance of them, but they were to **never ** touch them. They were told time and time again of this, saying that they were meant to only be used for hunting purposes only.  
  
They understood that. They all did, but it didn’t stop a few from touching them anyway.  
  
Leonie being one of them.  
  
For as long as she could remember, there had always been a lance situated on a high shelf in their home. Her father never touched it, which confused her. All weapons were supposed to be cared after, right? So why had she never seen her father take care of that one? She had learned of what weapons were at the age of six, and she never broke any of the rules her father had put in place. After all, he knew best. However, once she was nine years of age, she started to take advantage of how much she could reach around the house now.  
  
She was quick and nimble, now being able to climb just about anything she wanted to as long as she had the determination to do so. So one day when her father was out with others, she set herself to getting up to reach the lance she had long not been able to reach. The poor weapon must be in such disrepair, she thought to herself as she looked up towards it on the large shelf. She was disappointed in her father for ignoring it for so long. She knew it was her mother's lance, and that not wanting to use it made sense, but to completely neglect it for years? It made no sense to her. She was supposed to be learning how to hunt once her birthday passed in the summer! She couldn’t follow his footsteps in ignoring this lance that very likely was in dire need to oiling. The past summer was scorching hot and the winter that followed was surprisingly bitter. It made hunting more difficult than normal and so all the kids who were nearing the age of ten were going to start to learn the ropes of hunting.  
  
She wanted to use the lance. At least once during hunting in the future. It was the only thing Leonie knew that her mother had, had before she passed away giving birth to her. Having the desire to use the lance felt strange and foreign to her, though. She was missing someone she never truly knew, yet still felt drawn to the weapon regardless. Pulling herself out of her thoughts, she looked between the shelf and the window it was situated next to. If she wasn’t fast and didn’t pay attention, someone could see her from the outside climbing on something she shouldn’t be. Dragging over the nearby bench, she set it close to the front of the shelf. Leonie knew climbing it by the shelves alone wouldn’t be safe, but with the bench, she would only have to step halfway up to reach the lance.  
  
“Here goes nothing,” she muttered to herself as she stepped onto the bench. Quickly flicking her gaze towards the window, she didn’t see anyone in the general vicinity of her home, so she hastily stepped onto the shelf and stretched her arms out to get ahold of the weapon. Just as she turned to step down, she immediately felt the weight of the lance drag her down, making her stumble and fall off of the bench, taking it with her. Groaning after landing flat on her back, she pushed the lance off of her chest and it rolled onto the floor. Sitting up, she gasped.  
  
The lance was in perfect condition.  
  
Had her father been secretly taking care of it all this time? She immediately felt guilty for even doubting her father for a single moment; he hadn’t neglected it at all. Though… it was now down in front of her on the floor. It was a plain, light silver lance that had a black handle to it. It wasn’t particularly different from any other lance she had previously seen before, but she understood the importance it had to her father. Feeling terrible for having taken it down, she grabbed and hefted both it and herself up. Sure, it was heavy, but she could at least try to get it back up on the shelf. Careful to keep the tip away from her, Leonie climbed back onto the bench. She felt a curious twinge in her arms as she started to stand on her tiptoes, stretching her arms out to see if she could get one end up and push the rest of it up that way.  
  
“Come on…” She mumbled, shuffling as close to the shelf as possible. “This is long enough…” She could feel the pain starting to crawl up her arms and it made her grit her teeth, but she was determined.  
  
As she continued to push it forward, there was a large _ snap _ and Leonie felt pain shoot through her entire body, making her stagger back and fall to the floor once again. Her ears were ringing, but she vaguely heard the lance rattle to the ground near her. It felt as if something had sapped all the energy from her and it made it difficult for her to move. Blinking a few times, she couldn’t help but squint as something had started glowing brightly in the room. Leonie wasn’t sure what she was witnessing. She could see an ethereal blue energy surging and twirling around the lance and it changing color, shape and gaining a bizarre design as it went. Was it enchanted? It had to be to react like that… Though she had never seen a magical weapon do something like that.  
  
It was getting hard to keep her eyes open, though. She was going to get in trouble, but now she was more curious about her mother’s lance…  
  
She heard the front door to their home open at some point and a lot of footsteps, but by that point, she had long given up keeping her eyes open. Everything hurt and she couldn’t even dream of moving. She heard the voice of her father along with another’s, talking in an urgent tone.  
  
Ah.  
.  
.  
.  
  
  
She woke up some time later on one of the medical beds in their village’s healers lodge. Groaning, she opened her eyes and was met by a short woman placing a cool cloth on her head. “What… what happened?” She winced, all of her joints ached and she felt like she was burning up.  
  
“It’s okay, Leonie,” the woman gave her a soft smile. “You fell a few days ago and got hurt.” She frowned. “You’ve had a high fever for a few days, and it’s only starting to let up now. So please, try not to get up just yet, alright?”  
  
“A few _ days _ –” She started before she heard a knock on the door behind the healer.  
  
“You can come in, Wyatt,” the nurse said, taking a step to the left of the bed. Very soon after, Leonie saw her father come through the door and rush up to her.  
  
“Leonie! Thank the goddess you’re alright,” He said, brushing a few strands of her hair out of her face. “You had me worried sick.”  
  
“I’m- I’m sorry it’s my fault I shouldn’t have done what I did,” Leonie started, squirming in the bed in an attempt to sit up to no avail. “I should have listened to you.”  
  
“You’re right. You should have listened to me,” Wyatt sighed. “But what matters is that you’re okay. I don’t want to know what would have happened if I had gotten home later than I did.”  
  
Leonie felt guilt and shame for what she had done and to cause her father and those around her so much worry. She needed to take her father’s feelings into consideration more than she had before.  
  
“You have the promise me this, Leonie,” Wyatt clasped her hand in his. “Please never go near the lance again.”  
  
“I won’t. I promise,” Leonie murmured.  
  
“Good,” Wyatt gave her a small smile. “You should still try and rest some more, I’ll be back in a few hours, alright?”  
  
“Okay.”  
  
.  
.  
.  
  
“What am I supposed to do?” Wyatt paced in the small office as the small nurse watched on. “She touched Aspen’s _ lance, _ and it reacted to _ her. _ What am I supposed to do about that, Flayn?”  
  
“Nothing,” Flayn said simply. “It is clear now that she did inherit the lance from her mother, however,” Flayn cast a sideways glance towards the aforementioned lance set on the table. “Leonie has little to no chance of ever getting to use it in the future. So keeping it in a place where she cannot physically reach it is the next best course of action.”  
  
“I thought that gla-- that magic stuff you put on her before–”  
  
“–Glamour.”  
  
Wyatt groaned. “Yes, _ that _ . Wasn’t that supposed to _ prevent _ the lance from reacting to her? For her to be completely normal?”  
  
“That is correct,” Flayn nodded. “It sealed her true appearance and nature away, but it is not foolproof. Glamour can do many things, but its use only stretches so far. It can falter, waver and break. Her glamour has not done anything abnormal. What happened a few days ago was not the magic’s fault.”  
  
“Then please,” Wyatt ground out. “Tell me what happened to my daughter a few days ago.”  
  
“The sacred weapons that gods and goddesses carry and use are weapons they are born with. Soon after their birth, their weapons come into existence. That was no different for Aspen,” Flayn frowned. “Though in the case of a god or goddess passing away, their weapons will fade with them unless they have a child for it to pass down to.”  
  
“I thought that only happened with,” he gestured to Flayn. “You lot, not what Leonie is.”  
  
“You are right in saying that it happens with us most often but it _ does _ happen at times for demigods as well. Regardless of the status of their child, the weapon will pass down to them, but it does not guarantee they will be able to use it.” Flayn slid her fingertips across the body of the lance, it reacting slightly to her touch before ceasing at Flayn withdrawing her hand. “Leonie coming into contact with it and it assuming its true form is telling that she is able to wield it.”  
  
“Then why did it make her sick?”  
  
“The energy that our weapons have matches that of our own, so when it came into contact with Leonie, the glamour I placed on her blocked it. It did not do so completely, though,” Flayn shook her head. “It contained her abilities and appearance like it was supposed to, but it did not prevent a little of her own natural energy to flow through her and into the lance.” She saw the puzzled expression on Wyatt’s face and cleared her throat. “Simply put, the glamour’s energy clashed with the lance and Leonie’s energy flowing through each other. I could not have expected it to have made her fall ill, but it is not anything that can be changed now.”  
  
There was a stretch of silence between them.  
  
“Would locking the lance away prevent Leonie from ever coming into contact with it, then?” Wyatt wrung his hands.  
  
“I can not guarantee it will be a permanent fix, but it will keep it away from her for at least the time being, yes.”  
  
“Are you meaning to imply that it could be a problem in the future? That she might come into contact with it in the future?” Wyatt took a step towards Flayn.  
  
“You know I can not answer that, Wyatt,” Flayn tilted her head and stood her ground. “I may be the goddess of fate, but there are many things that I can not dream of predicting. Additionally, I can and will not speak of what I know of people’s fates. Not only is it against what I should do, knowing ones fate or your own will only drive you to try to alter or change the course of it,” Flayn looked to Wyatt worriedly. “It could drive you mad. I can not change what has happened, and I sincerely hope that you do not try to do anything reckless with this new information about your daughter.”  
  
“You don’t get to tell me what to do, no matter if you’re the goddess of fate,” Wyatt spat out. “Do you understand me?”  
  
“I do,” Flayn smoothed out her dress. “Please just keep what I have told you in the back of your mind.”  
  
“Right.” Wyatt growled before grabbing the lance and stomping out of the office.  
  
Sitting down at a desk, Flayn sighed.  
  
Wyatt knew that something like this could happen, but had decided to ignore it in an attempt to have control over the situation. While she could understand wanting to have that sense of control, Flayn knew that Leonie’s fate was not something he could alter even if he tried.  
  
Leonie’s glamour may be powerful, but like any other type of glamour the gods knew, it too would eventually begin to fade.  
  
Flayn could only hope that it would not be any time soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo, some backstory for Leonie and her dad! Reveals Leonie to be a demigod, a child of a God(ess) and a mortal.  
Aspen was Leonie's mother who passed away under unknown circumstances and thus glamour had to be placed on Leonie when she was a baby to hide her appearance and abilities.
> 
> Leonie doesn't know of her true nature, time is of the essence, though.
> 
> This chapter was very delayed as I've been having a lot of personal issues going on in my life and still am. So writing has been slow going, but I'm glad to have chapter 4 done for you all!
> 
> Kudos and comments feed me, so please tell me what you think!


End file.
